


By The Way, Can You Survive Doki Doki Literature Club?

by Retrodame



Category: Video Blogging RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - High School, Bad Poetry, Baking, Blood Loss, Cooking, Corruption, Cupcakes, Doki Doki Literature Club! Spoilers, Eventual Happy Ending, F/M, How Do I Tag, I'm Sorry, Implied Relationships, Implied/Referenced Abuse, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Implied/Referenced Mind Control, Implied/Referenced Self-Harm, Inspired by Doki Doki Literature Club!, It Gets Worse Before It Gets Better, Knives, M/M, Musical References, Past Relationship(s), Possession, References to Shakespeare, Suicide
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-05-21
Updated: 2019-06-12
Packaged: 2020-03-09 09:26:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 10,512
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18914152
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Retrodame/pseuds/Retrodame
Summary: Ah, high school. Probably the most eventful four years for most students, whether you find yourself weaving a lie off the back of your dead classmate, activating a supercomputer with Mountain Dew whose sole purpose is to make you cool, or dating a psychopathic James Dean and forging fake suicide notes for your dead classmates, high school has always been portrayed as the most eventful years of your life.If that's the case, you feel you're doomed to live a very dull life, if your past three years at this hellhole were any indication. Thank god you have your good friend Dan to help you. You've always longed for excitement in your life, but something about the innocent-seeming club Daniel drags you into is suspicious...!Spoilers for Doki Doki Literature Club!((I'm not good at this please help me. This was written for fun and if any Danplan members are reading this... Sorry))





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> [DISCONTINUED]
> 
> ((I'm so sorry. I got inspired by a picture on Tumblr, and now I will show you why I should never be inspired ever again. https://bb-digital.tumblr.com/post/184730723051/a-little-something-i-made-to-make-me-feel-less  This is the artist who drew the picture that inspired me. They're so good!))
> 
> I'm not very good at their personalities (especially Dan's, oof), so this will be rough. I'm planning on keeping most of the characters' main problems the same and finding ways to fit them into their characters. There won't be much poetry in here, that's just in the beginning of chapter 2. It will be bad poetry, and I am both aware and accepting of that fact. There's going to be quite a bit of changes to how DDCL originally played out, but I'll try not to make it suck :)
> 
>  
> 
> Enjoy. Please. Or else I'll throat punch you

Ah~ senior year. Arguably one of the most stressful years in school, all things considered. Having to decide on what you want to major in, cramming for big exams, and trying to sacrifice what little social life you have for a shred of sleep, only to wind up with neither. What was that quote again? "Naught's had, all's spent"? That seemed like a fitting quote for the fruitless attempts you've made at trying to balance school life with a social one, while also getting enough sleep at the same time. You wind up with none of those. You already knew what you wanted to major in, and you were hoping to minor in theater. But maybe you should switch tracks? To minor or to major, that is the question. You thought about it quite often and had already switched your plans several times, debated over singing lessons, poured over music sheets, and scribbled out semi-coherent ideas at 2 am, only to scrunch your nose in disgust and crumple them up the very next morning.

          Winter had begun to fall mid-October this year, and the streets of Montreal were already powdered white. Streetlamps illuminating the delicate fall of snow against the pale violet sky. The cold turned your face and ears red, but you had long since gotten used to the sting of the cold. Well, at least the worst of it. You wore a toque and scarf anyways, though. Just because you couldn't quite feel the frostbite nipping at your skin didn't mean it wasn't there. You had already knocked on the big red door three times, and you hadn't heard anything. Maybe you should knock again? Yell? Break in and physically drag your friend out the door? If he didn't hurry up, you would both be late.

You waited anyways —  how could you not? After knocking on the door again you were finally met with the verbal confirmation that he is, in fact, on his way down. A clatter was heard outside the door, and you stepped back just as Dan swung it open.

His chartreuse hair was tousled and messy, and you assumed he didn't bother combing it this morning. He had a simple navy parka on with a small golden logo on it. It was an odd logo, but you noticed he's been wearing it quite a bit recently. " ,!¡' " You didn't know where it was from. Maybe you should ask him later when you don't have to worry about Mr. Magister beheading you for being late to history class. Again. You assumed Dan couldn't find his winter boots amongst all his mess, because he was wearing bright yellow rubber ones instead. The kind you would see paired with a cliché yellow raincoat and red umbrella. You briefly wondered if he had those stashed away in there too. For all, you knew his closet could lead to Narnia, once you got past the mountains of disorganized items.

"What took you so long?" You asked as the two of you walked to school, dodging the occasional patches of ice.

"Sorry, I slept in." He shrugged.

"Even after I bought you that alarm clock?" You frowned, remembering dragging him to the store to purchase one after he had arrived two hours late in the middle of the third period, looking like absolute hell. It was a green owl, which immediately reminded Daniel of the Duolingo mascot.

"Yeah, sorry, I keep forgetting to set it at the right time. Went off at 3 am this morning." He rubbed the back of his neck with a sheepish look.

You sighed, shaking your head. "Daniel, you're absolutely hopeless."

"I know, I know." He smiled. "So, when are you going to join a club?"

"What? I never said-" You pause, remembering that you did, in fact, promise to join a club this year.

"Yes, you did. Come on, it'll be fun! Besides, you need more friends and what better way to put yourself out there and find people with common interests than to join a club?"

You sigh, shaking your head. "I dunno, Dan, the drama club all seem pretty snobbish..." He snorts at that.

"You'd fit right in, then."

          The two of you parted ways as soon as you walked through the big, heavy front doors of the school. The bell had already rung before you two stepped in, so you barely had enough time to kick the snow off your shoes before running- well, speedwalking, actually, you would get in trouble if you run down the halls to your history class. Your desk was in the closest row to the door, second-farthest from the back, right in front of a short, quiet boy with cool french grey hair, pulled back into a ponytail. He always seemed to be bent over the desk, scribbling something onto a piece of paper. You didn't really pay much attention to him. The only time you'd spoken with him was to ask for more lead since your pencil ran out while jotting down notes. He quickly and wordlessly handed you the lead container. Today, though, he seemed to have been looking up from his paper, taking occasional glances in your direction, and then looking towards the row of desks that sat by the windows. Pale blue light filtered in from outside, dimmer than the golden light that already filled the room. 

          One person stood out amongst the rest in that row. He was tall, with a messy, dark violet mohawk. Not a spikey, gelled Mohawk, like an early 2000s rock band. It was calmer and softer than that. Everyone knew who he was. Stephen. Don't let the nerdy glasses fool you, rumor has it he's been expelled from three different schools over the past three years. Of course, nobody actually knew this for certain, but he did get in trouble several times, albeit for rather mundane things. Not wearing his uniform, talking back to the teacher, that sort of thing. You did enjoy his debates with the history teacher, though. They were entertaining, and occasionally got most of the class involved. Today, though, Stephen seemed a bit distant, gazing out the window and watching the snow gently drift to the ground, not joking with his friends as much... You looked away quickly before anyone could notice you staring at him, realizing that you had actually been doing so for a few minutes now. The tone rang as the last of the students filed in, and you mentally prepared yourself for another boring day.

School dragged by in a monotone blur, moving agonizingly slow yet dizzyingly fast. Only school could tick by at such a fundamentally opposing pace. You hadn't realized that you had been staring off into space until Daniel tapped his pencil on your desk, quickly gaining your attention. The classroom was empty now. "Hello? Are you okay?" You look up at him and shrug. "Yeah, sorry, I was just spacing out..." He gives you a sympathetic smile and rolls his eyes. "Well, if you're still looking for a club, can you come check out ours?"

That's right, Dan made a club at the beginning of the year with a couple of friends. You didn't really know what it was about, but you were certainly curious. "What's it about?" 

"Oh, we haven't actually really decided yet, to be honest. We kinda just use it as an excuse to hang around after school. We read a lot, I guess. Sometimes I make up those survival scenarios, but they don't usually go too well. Hosuh always bakes things for us-" 

"What kind of things?" You perk up immediately at the sound of pastries.

"Cookies and cupcakes, mostly — " 

"Okay, I'm sold, where is it?" 

Daniel shakes his head, smiling, and motions for you to follow him. He leads you through the almost empty hallways. Most of the remaining students would probably be loitering at the main entrance, chatting in two big, separate groups of people, as they usually do, until the teachers finally kick them out. 

As you neared the classroom, you were certain you just sold your soul for one- maybe two- cupcakes. You didn't regret that decision, cupcakes were delicious and totally worth putting up with Daniel's weird survival scenarios. 

"We have a new member today!" Daniel announced loudly as you walked into the classroom, his wide smile audible in his voice. The classroom was smaller than usual and had the standard furniture a classroom would have. The usual whiteboard at the front, adjacent to the door, the teacher's desk sat by the row of windows on the far end of the room. 

There was a shelf behind it filled with books. At the back of the classroom were a couple more shelves and a big white closet. Out of the three other people in the room, you only recognized two. Stephen was leaning over a book you couldn't see, trying to conceal the cover from everyone else. On the other side of the room, the boy with light french grey hair was looking up at you from frosting a tray of fluffy, delicate looking cupcakes. You assumed he was Hosuh. The person you didn't recognize, however, had short golden hair. He had briefly looked up at you when you entered but had since resumed scribbling something into a small notebook.

Holy crap. This club is filled with incredibly cute guys!

"Hi." You awkwardly waved at the three of them, unsure of what to say. The boy you assumed to be Hosuh returned your smile and gave a quick wave back to you. Stephen just shifted in his seat and went back to reading, still trying to obscure the book from any prying eyes. The blonde boy looked up for a moment, waved, smiled politely, and then went back to doodling again. 

"This is my good friend- well, I'm sure you all know their name by now, what with all I've mentioned them." Daniel chuckled to himself awkwardly. He's talked about you?

"Yes, I remember! It's wonderful to meet you, Dan always says great things about you. I'm Hosuh, by the way." He stops icing the cupcakes, walks up to you, and shakes your hand cheerfully.

Out of the corner of your eye, you catch Stephen looking at the two of you with an unreadable expression. He gets up suddenly, shoving the book into his desk. You barely manage to make out the cover, but you don't know if what you saw was real or not. No, of course, it wasn't. Stephen wouldn't be reading something like _that,_ would he?

"Daniel, we don't need a new member. Hosuh, James and I are fine on our own." Stephen said abruptly with an annoyed tone.

Daniel frowned at his rude attitude and tone. "Stephen, come on, we need to expand our horizons! Meet new people!"

"I know enough people, Daniel. It's bad enough putting up with you, I don't need another idiot in here."

Dan crossed his arms, disappointed but not surprised. "You don't even know them, Stephen."

Said boy sat back down, turning his attention to you. "Is water wet?" He demanded.

You blink, confused. "Wha — "

"Answer the question. Is. Water. Wet?"

_(Yes/No)_

**If Water is Wet:**

Stephen's expression immediately became more pleasant and leaned back in his chair, satisfied. "Alright, Daniel, you were right for once, I misjudged them. Good to know not everyone is as dumb as you are." You look over to see Daniel looking as surprised as you are.

"It just makes sense." You shrug, recovering from the surprise rather quickly.

"Exactly!" Stephen grins at you, something you never expected to see, but here you are, seeing it.

**Stephen: +1**

 

**If Water isn't Wet:**

Stephen's frown deepens. Clearly, this wasn't the answer he was looking for. 

"See, Danie?, I'm always right. You're both idiots, clearly."

Dan glares back at him. "No, Stephen, you're the idiot here. How can water possibly be wet? It just doesn't make sense." Stephen scoffs and retrieves his book from his desk.

**Daniel: +1**

"Let's not start this argument up again, okay guys?" Hosuh is now on the other side of the room again. He picked up two plates of cupcakes and brought them over. "These were a bit rushed, since Daniel informed me of your arrival on such short notice."

You paused and spun around to look at Daniel, confused. "I figured if I had Hosuh make cupcakes, you would be more willing to stop by."

Damn, Daniel was more cunning than you thought. Which isn't really saying much, but still. "Well, it clearly worked." 

Six desks were arranged to form a table In the middle of the room. There was an open seat next to the blonde and one next to Daniel.

You awkwardly sat next to him. The blonde-haired boy finally closed his notebook and looked up at you. "I'm James, by the way. Sorry I didn't say anything sooner, I was just..." He motioned down at his notebook while sweeping two cupcake wrappers out of the way. You had eaten three. They were absolutely delicious.

"James is the one who started this club!" Daniel perked up from beside you.

"Well, you helped." James grinned back.

"I only got everyone together to join, you did the rest."

"You got us to join through lies. I thought we were going to be doing something cool! Not playing make-believe." Stephen crossed his arms.

"Oh, come on, Stephen, we all know how much you enjoy them. If you didn't, you would have left." James said.

"Actually, I think he just enjoys murdering people in them..." Hosuh mumbled timidly, putting the foil back over the remaining cupcakes and moving them far out of Stephen's reach.

"Exactly!" Stephen exclaimed proudly. Oh, that's a bit concerning. 

"But now that our club has gotten bigger, I was thinking we could start doing other activities, too." Dan began, eyes flickering to James for approval.

James nodded, intrigued. "I was thinking we could do, I dunno, poetry? Literature? Writing poems could be fun-"

"Oh my god, James, that's so lame!" Stephen hollered from the other side of the table.

"I think it's a good idea." You said, offering James a sympathetic look. 

"Me too. It could be fun." Hosuh piped up from the other side of the room, starting to clean up after his baking. You assumed he had a lot of practice since the counter he had been working at was relatively clean.

"Well, I guess we're trying poetry tomorrow," James proclaimed, despite Stephen's protest.

"What? Seriously, guys?" He groaned. "There has to be someone who agrees with me —"

"In fact," James interrupted, ignoring Stephen. "We should write poems tonight, and so we can read them tomorrow."

Daniel clapped his hands together excitedly. "Good idea!"

"No, bad idea!" Stephen interjected, still annoyed. Now that he was distracted by something else, you could see that the book in his hands was, in fact, a romance novel. Not something you expected from Stephen. Perhaps you misjudged him. As if he could hear your thoughts, Stephen suddenly looked up at you, noticed you staring at his book, and quickly shoved it back into his bag.

"I didn't know you liked romance novels, Ste — "

"I don't!" He stared down at the desk in embarrassment. "I just read them because they're a good laugh! I prefer horror stories, like Carrie! I can really relate to her."

"Because she was bullied?" You ask sympathetically. You never thought Stephen was being —

"No, because she kills people." 

"...Oh." You were pretty sure he was joking, but he didn't exactly have the best reputation, to begin with... 

"So, do you like the club so far?" Hosuh asked, leaning forward in his seat, hopeful and eager for your answer.

"I guess, you guys  _do_ seem pretty cool. What do you guys normally do here, anyway? I think Dan mentioned reading..." Stephen perked up a bit at this.

"Oh! Well, James and I like to draw, mostly. Stephen does a lot of reading- probably murder mysteries if I had to guess. Dan reads  _fantasy novels_ sometimes, I — "

"I do!" Dan interrupts him excitedly. "I just read this one about King Arthur and Lancelot and —  well, I really wasn't expecting them to... You know, uh, fudge..."

"Just say fuck, Daniel, it's not that hard — " Stephen rolled his eyes in a condescending manner as he pulled out a book of riddles from his backpack.

" — I thought Lancelot had an affair with Arthur's wife, not Arthur himself. But I really liked the new take on the story!" Daniel said cheerfully.

It was nice to see Daniel so genuinely happy. He was often happy, but sometimes his smiles seemed... Forced. Too wide, too dull, not quite reaching the eyes... You really worried about him, sometimes.

"Macbeth has a lot of fantasy elements, I think you'd really like it!" You suggest.

Dan shrugs. "I tried reading it, but I couldn't really understand it."

Now James was the one to join the conversation. "Our teacher showed us a Macbeth movie back in tenth grade when we were learning about it. It was filled with nudity and gore, so he tried to cover it up by standing in front of the screen. But it just projected onto him, so that didn't work too well."

"What, you egg?" You cried out dramaticlly while making a stabbing motion. You smiled as you recall the scene. As far as death scenes go, that one was pretty stupid.

"Oh, I remember that one. 'He hath killed me, mother.' ...And then he dies. It was pretty funny, actually." Stephen spoke up from across the table, not looking up from the small book of riddles he was solving. "I agree, murder is hilarious."

"That's not what I meant..." James gives up halfway through his sentence. "Honestly, Stephen, you scare me sometimes." James gives a lopsided smile, half-joking.

"Good, you should be scared," Stephen says nonchalantly, still not taking his eyes off his riddles. 

"So, are you interested in joining- _Stephen put the knife down I swear_ \- our little club? It would be fun to have you around." Dan eagerly awaited your answer, tapping his foot in anticipation.

How could you say no? You hadn't known any of them for very long (besides Dan), but this could be a good opportunity to become their friends and get closer to Daniel again. Besides, who said you had to stop at friendship? Not to mention Hosuh makes delicious cupcakes, James is quite charming, and Stephen seems intriguing... The poetry could prove to be helpful, maybe even inspiring, to your theatrical ambitions.

"Alright. I'll join." Everyone looks up at you, even Stephen, with a mix of surprise and joy.

"That's awesome!" Dan claps his hands together excitedly, before giving you a mock-knighting. "Welcome to the club! It'll be so much fun having you here!" He was practically bouncing.

"Calm down, Daniel." Stephen was back to his riddles already.

"I'm really happy you decided to join!" Hosuh said, to which James agreed. "Has it been two hours already?" He wondered aloud, looking at the clock.

"Well, the party's almost over, I guess. We have about fifteen minutes before they kick us out." Dan sighed.

"Well, I'd better get back to cleaning up..." Hosuh said, returning to the most organized mess you had ever seen. 

What to do now?

James had returned to doodling in his notebook, while Hosuh was still cleaning up. Stephen seemed to have this aura of "touch me and I'll kill you", even while trying to solve riddles, and Daniel seemed to be focused on his poetry right now, so you probably shouldn't disturb either of them. Besides, you guys would have to leave pretty soon, and you figured you should get to know your club members a bit more.

_Who should you approach?_

**Hosuh:  **

You decide to help Hosuh clean up. Despite being remarkably clean, he still had quite a bit of stuff to put away, and the counter to wipe down.

"Stephen threw flour at me." He mutters motioning to his dust-covered uniform. You giggle and put away some ingredients and said flour into the trash bin.

"We need to take these down to the baking classroom." Hosuh gestures to the bag of supplies.

"Oh, alright. Want me to help bring them?" You ask.

"That would be nice, thank you." 

The two of you walk in semi-awkward silence down to the baking class, occasionally trying to start up conversations.

"I actually joined the club to hang out with James and Stephen, mostly," Hosuh confesses when you reach the classroom. 

"Really?" 

"Yeah, James and I share animation and _art_ class, so we became fairly good friends pretty quickly."

"And Stephen?" 

"Oh, it's a long story, but he's actually kinda nice." Hosuh smiles a little.  
  
"(Yeah, I can believe that/Really?)"

Hosuh continues speaking. "Daniel was really interested in my drawings, actually. He thought they were cool, and we both _enjoy Sci-fi novels._  I actually met Stephen through him." You nod, trying to find something to say.

"Well, now I've met you through Daniel, so... We can relate."

He smiles. "I guess we can." The two of you re-enter the classroom as everyone seems to have begun packing up. Hosuh goes to talk with James while you walk home with Daniel, excited for the next day.

**Hosuh: +1**

 

**James:**

You decide to talk to James. You're curious as to what he's up to, anyway. You walk over to him to find he's drawing _funny comics_ in his notebook. After a few minutes, he finally notices you standing next to him, peering over his shoulder.  
  
"Uh—"  
  
"Oh! Sorry, I just thought your drawings looked neat..."  
  
He smiles and leans back from the table, putting the pencil down.  
  
"Thanks, I mostly just draw any  _silly ideas_ I have..."  
  
He picks the pencil back up and starts fumbling with it awkwardly. "Do... Would you like to see some?" He asks nervously.  
  
"Absolutely!"  
  
He hands you his notebook shakily, and you can't tell if he's nervous, excited, or both. Flipping through the comics, they're just as funny as you thought they would be. You could tell James had improved a lot, too.  
  
James burst into a nasty cough, startling you. 

"Are you alright?" You asked. No, he's clearly not alright. Why did you even...?  
  
He was bent over the desk in a nasty coughing fit. Daniel stood up, alarmed, and was at his side immediately.  
  
He stopped coughing a few seconds later, his face bright red. "Oh, man, I didn't realize I was so sick..."  
  
You fetched him a glass of water and rubbed his back with a worried expression on your face.  
  
"Thank you." He nodded weakly as he swallowed the contents.  
  
"I think you need to go to the doctor, James," Dan said worriedly, putting a hand on James' back.  
  
"Thanks, but I'm... Fine." He gave a tight-lipped smile and stood up, grabbing his knapsack and retrieving his sketchbook. "I'll just have some cough medicine when I get home. It's getting late, anyway." Stephen and Hosuh had both already gone home by now, so it was just the three of you left.  
  
"Want us to walk you home?" You asked, concerned. James gave you a grateful smile.  
  
"That would be nice, thank you."

**James: +1**


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this took so long, have another poorly written chapter.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Buckle up, this is 19.5 pages long, according to Quotev, so we're in for a long ride.

Daniel's tardiness actually managed to make you late as well, but you didn't mind too much. You were too excited to hang out with the guys in the club again. School went by awfully fast, and you arrived at the club with your poem before you knew it. Daniel greeted you cheerfully by the entrance to the classroom.

"I'm so excited, really! I can't wait to read our poetry to each other!" He clapped his hands together in a joyful manner. You chuckle and sit down at the table, smoothing the creases out of your poem and reading it over while waiting for the other club members to arrive. 

You feel a presence over your shoulder and notice Dan reading the poem from behind you. You quickly cover it up, but he seems to have already read all of it.

"Wow, I didn't realize you were so good at poetry!"

You shrug and awkwardly fumble with your pencil. "I'm not  _that_ good, I just started writing and kinda just... Went with the flow, I guess."

"Well, either way, yours is certainly better than mine..."

**If You Wrote Your Poem For Daniel:**

"I really liked the topic, actually. Fantasy _has_ always been a favorite genre of mine!" 

"I know. I was hoping you'd like it!" You looked down at the floor and smiled to yourself.

"I do, and I'm sure everyone else will too!" He smiles at you, but he won't meet your eyes. "I'm really happy you're getting along with _(everyone/almost everyone)_!" He said, putting his hands in the pockets of his bunnyhug.

**Daniel: +1**

**If You Wrote Your Poem For Someone Else:**

"I didn't expect you to write about _(comedy/romance/horror/science fiction)_ , actually," Daniel says matter-of-factly.

"Oh? Well, I just — "

"You wrote it for (James/Stephen/Hosuh), right?" He crosses and uncrosses his legs quickly. "I could tell. I'm glad you're making new friends!" He gives you a quick smile before rubbing his eyes.

**No Points**

"I should show you mine now, I guess, while we're waiting," Dan said, fishing a crumpled paper out of his pocket and setting it down in front of you. The words are slightly smudged, and fairly difficult to make out. You manage to read it anyways, though.

 

_"The swirling of magic is one I was captivated by._

_Emotions put on display for everyone to view._

_For everyone to judge._

_One slip up and that's all I'm known for._

_But I keep going._

_What else am I supposed to do? Quit?_

_The magic of emotions is one I play with.”_ 1

 

You hand it back after a while. "It's really good!" Your compliment was genuine. There was a smooth pace with rhythm and the words blended well together.

 "Really? Thanks! After my first draft in the club, I nearly left it until the last minute again..." 

You sigh at his irresponsibility. "You really need to stop procrastinating so much, Dan!"

He shrugs awkwardly. "Sorry. I kinda just forgot about it by the time I got home." 

Hosuh was the next person to enter the class. James and Stephen came right behind him.

"Bonjour you two!" Hosuh waved as he came in.

"Salut!" You waved back. James looked between the two of you, confused.

"I'm kind of bad at French, so..." He gave an awkward half-shrug. "Hello, guys."

Stephen made an instant beeline for his desk, novel in hand. "Stephen. We're starting out with poetry." James calls, and the violet-haired boy froze. 

"Seriously?"

"You _did_ write a poem, didn't you?"

He sighed and pulled out a sheet of paper out of his book. "Yes, I did." He handed it to James first. 

There was a quiet silence as James read his poem. His eyes widened and he looked back up to Stephen. "Holy crap, Stephen, this is incredible!" 

You all crowded around his poem, reading it over.

 

_"I shut my eyes and all the world drops dead; I lift my lids and all is born again._

_(I think I made you up inside my head.)_

_The stars go waltzing out in blue and red,_

_And arbitrary blackness gallops in: I shut my eyes and all the world drops dead._

_I dreamed that you bewitched me into bed_

_And sung me moon-struck, kissed me quite insane._

_(I think I made you up inside my head.)_

_God topples from the sky, hell’s fires fade:_

_Exit seraphim and Satan’s men:_

_I shut my eyes and all the world drops dead._

_I fancied you’d return the way you said, But I grow old and I forget your name._

_(I think I made you up inside my head.)_

_I should have loved a thunderbird instead; At least when spring comes they roar back again._

_I shut my eyes and all the world drops dead._

_(I think I made you up inside my head)"_

 

"I didn't know you were so good at poetry, Stephen!" Daniel complimented, with an awestruck look on his face. "Stephen is good at everything," Stephen said with a smug look on his face. 

"Wait..." You paused, reading the poem over again. "Wasn't this written by Sylvia Plath?" 

Stephen opened his mouth, closed it and re-opened it again. "I — Well...! Poetry is dumb, and I didn't want to waste my time writing it." He scowled and snatched his scrap of paper back and quickly sat back down in his chair. He immediately buried his face in his novel, refusing to look up at any of you.

_(Who should you show your poem to first?)_

**If Your Poem Was Written For Hosuh:**

"Oh wow, this is really good!" Hosuh genuinely sounded impressed. "I didn't know you were interested in this stuff too!" He smiled and gave you back your poem. "Mine isn't nearly as good..." 

"I'm sure it'll be great." You encouraged as you took a look at his poem.

**Hosuh: +1**

**If Your Poem Wasn't Written For Hosuh:**

Hosuh just hums in approval. "It's nice. I think (Dan/James/Stephen) would like it, actually." He says, handing the poem back to you.

"You think so?" You ask hopefully. Hosuh nods and hands you his poem. "Absolutely!"

**No Points.**

_"My feet lift off the ground_  
I’m soaring  
Soaring  
Soaring  
Soaring  
I touch the stars  
Admire the planets   
And let my hand sink through the milky way."2

 

"Wow, Hosuh, this is really impressive!" You commented as you handed the poem back to him. 

Hosuh looked up shyly at you. "Really?" 

"Yeah! I really like it. I could see everything you wrote like it was happening right in front of me."

He smiled at you, embarrassed by your praise. "Thank you. I don't write poetry too often- none of us do, actually." 

"Well, maybe you should?! This is pretty great, almost like a professional!"

Hosuh's face flushes. "Thank you." He repeats, taking his poem back awkwardly. "I don't have much experience, I was kind of just messing around, seeing what worked..." He smiled again. "I'm glad you like it, though."

**If Your Poem Was Written For Stephen:**

Stephen looks over your poem once before handing it back. "Neat." He says simply, but you can tell there's more he wanted to say. "You already saw what I turned in, so..." He gives a half-shrug and falls silent. You don't say anything for a moment, prompting Stephen to keep talking.

"Well, okay, I think it's pretty good, actually. I, uh, really like what you wrote about..." He looks away, fumbling with the cuffs of his sleeves awkwardly.

"Thank you." You replied simply. Those psychology classes really  _did_ come in handy for more than just acting. 

Stephen shrugs and leaves the room quickly. You briefly wonder if he's alright, before moving to share your poem with someone else.

**Stephen: +1**

**If Your Poem Wasn't Written For Stephen:**

Stephen looks over your poem once before handing it back. "It's not awful, so that's something." 

**(If you wrote your poem for Dan)**

Stephen frowns, looking over at your green-haired friend, who was excitedly showing his poem to Hosuh.

"You wrote it for Dan, didn't you?" Stephen mutters, somewhat coldly. It's not a question, it's a statement. You don't say anything, and Stephen continues "I can tell. This stuff would be right up his ally."

He walked out of the classroom at that, leaving you to ponder what exactly his relationship with Dan is if there's one at all.

**Stephen: -1**

(If you wrote your poem for James or Hosuh)

Stephen quickly glances over at (James/Hosuh) before turning his attention back to you. "You wrote this for him, didn't you?" He raises an eyebrow.

"Yeah? Why do you care?" Your voice was a mix of confusion and annoyance. Stephen seems somewhat taken aback for a moment, but he just turns on his heel and leaves the room. What a weirdo.

**No Points.**

"So, you already showed your poem to Dan, right?" James questioned, attempting to make conversation.

"Well, I was trying to wait for everyone else to get here, but he read it over my shoulder, and then just showed me his anyways." You shrugged. James nodded and fumbled with his poem. 

"Yeah, I actually don't like poetry that much, honestly." He admits. "But Dan seemed really genuinely excited about it, and I just couldn't say no. Besides, I figured maybe my poetry teacher just made poetry  _seem_ really boring, and once I started writing on my own terms I'd like it more."

"And do you?" You asked.

"No, I still hate poetry." He replies bluntly, "But at least Dan's happy." 

You look over to see Dan still excitedly chatting with Hosuh, who looks a little overwhelmed but seems to be enjoying the conversation. 

"Anyways," He holds out his hand and motions for you to give him the poem. "If we keep standing around and talking we'll never get around to showing off our poetry."

**If Your Poem Was Written For James:**

You hand him the poem.

"Wow." He says, reading it over a second time. "This is actually pretty good! I mean, I'm not the best judge of poetry, but this is certainly better than what I came up with." 

**James: +1**

**If Your Poem Was Written For Someone Else:**

You hand him the poem.

"Huh," He says, before handing it back. "It's nice. I mean, I'm not good at judging poetry, but at least you didn't plagiarize yours as Stephen did." 

"Thanks?" You laugh awkwardly.

"Actually, I'm pretty sure (Dan/Hosuh/Stephen) would like this. Have you shown it to them, yet?" He asks.

"Yep."

**No Points.**

He gives you his poem. It's littered with grammar and spelling mistakes and he doodled on it. It was harder to read than Dan's, but eventually, you managed to figure out what he was trying to write.

 

_"In some timeline,_

_We see a young teen,_

_Lying in his bed, sitting in his own sick,_

_The fluids didn't make him feel better,_

_Neither did the pills._

_All he craved was sunlight,_

_The world around him, what he craved to see._

_He wished to take a breath,_

_Lay down and rest under his own vine and fig tree._

_Days later, he made it,_

_His mouth smiling wide,_

_He sat under a vine and fig tree,_

_Watching the blue robins he'd sketch fly by." 3_

 

"Oh, that's good. I take it you're really optimistic about getting better?" You say, referring to the poem.

"Yeah! I took some cough medicine this morning, so we're all out now, but I should be fine tomorrow." He reassures you, but despite the medicine, he's still awfully pale, with dark circles underneath his eyes. He didn't seem to be in much better shape than he was yesterday.

The two of you were interrupted by the sound of Stephen yelling. You look over to see Daniel and Stephen arguing with each other.

"Not again..." You heard James sigh.

"Dear god, Daniel, you're an idiot." Stephen shook his head. He had the same trashy romance novel you saw yesterday in his hands. _The Emperor's Wolf_ _._ Of all the books you expected to see someone like Stephen read, this was definitely not one of them.

"Says the guy reading _werewolf romance_ , Stephen!" Dan retorted.

Stephen cradled the novel tighter, as though if it were a child. "I know it looks trashy, but it actually has a very interesting plot!" 

"Are you really  _that_ desperate for more romance, Stephen?" 

"Says the guy trying to escape the horrors of the real world through fairies and knights!" 

"They're not fairies, They're  _fae._ There's a difference! Not to mention the hypocrisy of you accusing me of trying to hide from reality, when you're the one reading about werewolves fudging!" You couldn't quite tell if Dan was genuinely annoyed or not. "You've  _really_ gone downhill since the breakup, haven't you?" What breakup? Is that why Stephen seemed so distant yesterday morning?

Stephen's eyes narrow. "Oh, please, Daniel, I was the one who broke things off!" He spat, clearly aware of the audience around him. 

"I was there, man, you were  _no_ _t_ the one to break up with — "

"Alright, whatever, Daniel, the specifics don't matter! What _does_  matter is that romance is the superior genre." Stephen was both embarrassed and angry. You could tell by the way balled his hands into fists.

Daniel scoffs. "What are you? A forty-year-old housewife? Fantasy is so much more exciting!" Dan waves his hands around in a heated way. "I — "

"No. The real world sucks, Daniel, once you get used to that, you'll understand what an excellent genre romance is!"

"Okay, god, Stephen this is a pot calling the kettle black situation! You're reading about werewolves, which are apart of the  _fantasy genre."_ Dan pointed out.

"I read it for the romance and the plot, not for the werewolves. You read fantasy for the fantasy because your life is awful, unlike mine, so there! How does it feel to suck, Daniel?" Stephen smirked.

"I dunno man, you tell me," Dan replied casually with a shrug, causing Stephen's cheeks to turn pink.

"Oh haha, funny, Daniel, you're so funny." Stephen's voice dripped with sarcasm. "Double-entendre. Hilarious."

He turned to you, still red-faced. "Will you  _please_ tell Daniel over here that romance and horror are superior to god damn fantasy? Maybe he'll actually listen to you."

Daniel turned to you as well. "Seriously? Can you please take Stephen's ego down a peg? He always thinks he's right — "

"Because I _am_ always right," Stephen said obnoxiously.

Who should you side with? Your best friend or Stephen?

**"Fantasy is better":**

"Seriously?" Stephen scowled and sat down at the desk behind him. "You're both idiots." He mutters, opening his book to where he left off and continuing to read.

"I'm glad you agree with me, fantasy is so cool, man!" Daniel said to you excitedly. 

"Yeah! I could never really get into romance, honestly, all the books I've seen have been really trashy.  _Savage Thunder, A Tall Dark Cowboy Christmas-"_

Daniel laughs. "Those can't be real books, right?"

"They're very real and very bad." You say, earning another laugh from the lime-haired boy.

"Oh my god! Where did you even find those?"

**Daniel: +5**

**"Romance is better":**

Both boys look genuinely surprised. Daniel seems really disappointed but tries to cover it up. "Oh, well, to each their own, I guess..." He wanders to the back of the room and plops down into an empty desk, pulling out a copy of  _The Last Unicorn_  to read. It's a good book.

"Wow... Uh," Stephen begins, unsure of what to say. "I really didn't think..."

"Romance has such a bad reputation these days." You shrugged. 

"Exactly! Thanks to books like  _Twilight, After, and Fifty Shades of Grey,_ people think romance is all about unhealthy relationships and sex! But it's not!" Stephen said excitedly. It was peculiar to see him so happy about something.

"Yeah! There are some really good romance novels out there, despite all the shirtless guys."

"It's literally a 'don't judge a book by the cover' situation!" He agrees, before shuffling awkwardly. "Yeah... So, thanks for backing me up, I guess..."

"No prob, Bob." You grinned and awkwardly giving him the finger guns.

"Pull the trigger, you coward." He jokes. 

**Stephen: +5**

**You Like Both:**

You notice Hosuh standing by, awkwardly watching the two. He glances at you curiously. You don't want to make either boy upset! Romance and fantasy are both awesome! You can't just pick one!

Both boys stare at you expectantly, awaiting your answer. Hosuh is good friends with both boys, but it doesn't seem fair to drag him into this.

"Well... I, um, I like both?" You say, turning to the two of them. "Dan, fantasy is great, but romance can be really sweet and fun to read, and you really shouldn't assume it's only read by lonely housewives."

"Ha! See, Daniel?" Stephen interrupts, his tone prideful.

"But Stephen," You continue, turning to said boy. "Fantasy is fun to read too, and just because it contains magic and knights doesn't mean it doesn't deal with or parallel real-world problems and stuff... You know?" 

Stephen opens his mouth to retaliate but thinks better of it and sighs. "Yeah, I guess."

"I'm sorry, man. I shouldn't have generalized romance like that." Dan apologizes, trying to make amends. He sounded regretful.

Stephen just shrugs. "Well, you know what they say about assuming. It makes an ass out of you and me." 

"Stephen." You warn.

"And I'm sorry too." The violet-haired boy dropped his gaze.

"Glad that's been sorted out, then." You beamed at the two boys. You notice Hosuh staring at you from across the room. He gives you a quick smile before ducking his head down.

**Hosuh: +1**

"Well, now that that's over, I'm going to go get some snacks from the vending machine downstairs. Anyone want anything?" James asks. 

"No thank you." You decline. Hosuh's the only one who wants anything, as he asks for a granola bar.

James leaves the class to get the snacks, while you look around the class. Dan is fumbling with his tie, Hosuh is looking for something in the closet, and Stephen is reading his novel.

Who do you approach?

** Daniel: **

You decide to see what Dan is up to.

His uniform looked messier than usual. His blazer is unbuttoned, that's nothing new, but his tie wasn't done up right either. He was currently trying to straighten it out, but that didn't seem to be working. After fumbling with the tie a bit more, he eventually just ripped it off, frustrated.

"Do you need any help, or...?" You trailed off. Would it be weird if you did up his tie for him? No, of course not! You were best friends!

Dan sighed with relief and handed you the tie immediately. "That would be nice, thank you." 

You quickly smooth the creases out and reach around his neck and flick the tie like the reigns of a horse to get everything looking nice. Then you lean forward again to put the collar of the shirt over the fabric. Leaning back, you begin to tie it under his collar.

"Just don't strangle me," Dan teased with a tone of mischief in his voice.

"No promises." You chuckled.

You glance up halfway through tying and nearly had a heart attack. Dan's face is inches away from yours, a fact he doesn't seem to be aware of as he continues watching you help him.

You go back to tying his tie, your face probably as red as said tie itself by now. You're quick to tie it, the smooth, silky texture of it was rather pleasant. You move on to buttoning his blazer up as Dan tucks the tie into his vest. 

"You really should start doing this yourself." You mutter, sighing. "I can't always be there to help you."

"I know, I know, I'm sorry. I just keep sleeping in." He gives an awkward half-shrug. You look up at him again and he finally seems to realize how close you two are.

"Oh!" He backs away quickly, smacking his elbow on the desk in the process. "I'm sorry, man, I didn't realize we were so close together." His cheeks were a bit pink. 

“It’s alright.” You looked away to hide your embarrassment. “After all, we are friends, yeah?”

"Yeah, defnitely—" Dan stopped talking and yawned abruptly. It was then you realized his tired demeanor. His hunched posture and the dark circles under his eyes were all examples.

"No wonder you slept in! You seem exhausted." 

He waved off your worried comment. "No, I'm fine, really, just a little drowsy." 

"The bags under your eyes beg to differ." You point out. He laughs a little.

"I'm fine, don't worry about me." He said stubbornly.

"Nope, too late, I'm worried." You gave him a look. He frowns a little at that, shuffling awkwardly. "I can walk you home so you can get some rest?" You offer.

"You don't have to do that for me. I don't want to be any trouble." He mumbled quietly, looking away. 

"It wouldn't be a problem for me, Dan, really. Besides, you're such a good friend, always helping other people, let me do the same for you."

He sighs, thinking it over. "Alright, fine."

You explain the situation to James once he returns, and the two of you walk home together, albeit earlier than usual.

On your way, you pass several classmates, including a man about your age with spikey orange hair, and James's twin sister, who inquires about her brother's health before continuing on her way.

Snowflakes gently flutter and drift down from the sky, and both your face and Dan's are tinted pink from the cold. For a moment, you're both quiet, the only sound being the snow crunching under your boots. The silence was far from awkward, though. It was a comfortable silence, still, you wanted to say something.

"So... Do you want to go see The Phantom of the Opera? I heard they'll be performing in the Place des Arts sometime next month."

Daniel shrugs. "But that's all the way downtown. Quite a long drive."

"I know. I could drive us there if you want?" You suggest.

He sighs, averting his gaze. "I dunno man, it's so far away, and I'm just not really interested in it anymore."

"Oh. Alright then." You try to hide your disappointment as the two of you approach his house.

"I'm sorry, please don't be mad, I just-"

"It's fine, Dan, I'm not mad at all, I just thought you would be interested in going." You shrug. You probably shouldn't have preemptively bought the tickets, but you just really wanted to surprise Dan. Maybe you could go with someone else instead.

The two of you walk up the steps to his big, red front door. Ice had settled onto the steps, and it'd be a miracle if neither of you ended up slipping and breaking your neck.

"Well, still, I really appreciate you looking out for me, y'know?" He scratches the back of his head awkwardly, averting his gaze. The two of you were right outside his front door.

"Of course, Dan! You're always looking out for me, it's only fair of me to return the favor."

He nods, giving you a bashful smile as he opens the door. "Thanks again. I'll see you tomorrow morning!"

"Alright, goodbye, Dan!"

After his door shut, you stood there, staring at his door for a few more seconds before leaving. 

 

** Hosuh: **

You decide to go see what Hosuh is up to. He seems to be looking for something in the closet but to no avail.

"God damn it, Stephen..." He mutters under his breath.

"Do you need any help?" You offered, startling him.

He spins around, his eyes wide. "Oh! Sorry, I was just looking for something in there..." He awkwardly gestures to the closet behind him. It's piled with books of various colours, genres, and sizes. 

"Oh, need any help?" You ask again, and he nodded with a relieved look on his face.

"Sure, that'd be great. James let Stephen move all his books into here, and now I can't seem to find any of mine."

Hosuh turns back to the shelves and the piles of books upon books. He kneels down near a couple of short stacks to your right and began his search. You look around, unsure where to start. Finally, you make your way to a shelf with particular colours that stand out even though they’re the same as the rest. You find yourself looking at the covers as you read the titles, wondering about the contents while also trying to deduct if this was something Hosuh would read. 

“Hey, Hosuh?” You ask as you continue your thoughtless search through the books.

”Yes?” Hosuh mumbles absentmindedly while his eyes quickly analyze the novels. You spare a glance back at him.

”What exactly am I looking for? Obviously sci-fi, but what about book titles?” You look back again to look for a reaction. Hosuh stops rummaging and straightens slightly, his hands just barely grazing the books in front of him. Then they fall down the sides of the tower of paper as his head cocks in thought. 

“Well, there’s _A Wrinkle in Time, The Fifth Wave, The Giver_ -,” Hosuh pauses, then turns to face you, giving a shy smile, “don’t worry, you’ll know it’s mine when you see it.” Then he returns to his pile, pulled one out from near the bottom, and set it aside with care.

You turn back to your shelf as the room falls into a comfortable silence and look through a couple more books before one catches your eye. The book itself was rather average size, nothing special about it. Though you notice that it’s very well used, yet obviously cared for. The spine has creases and the paper has been worn smooth as if it’s been read multiple times. It has a simple cover and you’re not sure why you found it so interesting. It's a girl sitting in a circular window looking out at a night sky beyond it - space. _The Loneliest Girl in the Universe_ , you thought, it doesn’t seem to fit anyone else’s preferred genre, so maybe it’s his. You turn while still staring at the cover, captivated by it.

“Hey Hosuh, is this yours?” The boy jumps up and turns quickly, stepping over to look at it. You notice his eyes light up and a fond smile crept onto his face.

"Yeah, it is. It's a favorite, admittedly," Hosuh said shyly, looking down at the floor.

You move the book towards him, just in his line of sight. His head jerks up and his eyes land on yours for a moment before falling onto the book. "Oh! Thanks!" He takes the book and looks at it lovingly, his thumb gently stroking the side of it.

You want to say something. What do you say?

**"That looks like a cool book."**

Hosuh glances up at you, smiles, and looks back down at the cover. "Yeah, it is. It wasn't what I expected, but it was really fascinating!" Hosuh looks back up at you and shifts his weight, his eyes advert.

"Well, I should probably get going," He says sheepishly, shifting once again.

"What about the rest of your books?" Hosuh takes a step back and motions proudly towards a stack of a few meticulously placed books - the biggest at the bottom to smallest on top, perfectly centered.

"Oh," You let out dumbly. Hosuh gives a nervous chuckle.

"Don't worry about it, I've got most of them. Thank you though, it was nice having someone in here as to not be so alone." Hosuh smiles at you, obviously grateful for your presence.

"Of course! It was no problem. Here, let me walk you to your house."

"Oh! Don't worry about it!" Hosuh replied hurriedly, "I can walk myself. A-and besides, I probably live very far from your house." You ponder about his reasons.

"Fair point," You paused and studied Hosuh for a second longer, "Well, at least let me walk you out of the school."

"I'd like that!"

"Hey, Hosuh- oh, didn't see you there!" James comes up to you and Hosuh. 

"Here you go, Hosuh," James hands him a granola bar. Hosuh took it timidly with his head tipped down and shoulders caved in, his face a rosy tint. James playfully hits Hosuh's arm and looks at you and rolls his eyes with a smile.

"Hosuh here is always forgetting to eat. I usually give him granola bars, I've gotten so used to it I carry extras!" James finishes with a smile and a chuckle. Hosuh compacts himself more as he grows more embarrassed. He turns back to Hosuh. "I hope you found your books okay. I didn't think Stephen would mess things up so bad."

"Oh, don't worry about it, it wasn't that bad," Hosuh murmured and gives a tiny smile to James, still trying to hide his face.

"Well that's good! Anyways, I better get going. See ya Hosuh," He pats Hosuh's back and turns to you, "see you tomorrow." James starts to walk away, then pauses and turns around, "Hey, Hosuh, a guy named Jay said to say hi to you. I'd almost forgotten until now." Then he leaves for sure after gaining a nod of acknowledgment. You and Hosuh make eye contact. You give him a small, awkward smile and gesture with your head to encourage him to come with you.

You help Hosuh put the books into his backpack, and make small talk as you walk through the hallways and out the door, wishing each other goodbye.

**"It sounds interesting! What's it about?"**

Hosuh's head shoots up. His eyes have an excited glint in them and his face is hopeful and glowing.

"Really? You'd like to hear about it?"

"Of course, it sounds cool!" Hosuh's smile widens and you feel your heartbeat quicken.

"Well, it's about this girl named Romy who's all alone in space. She's on this spacecraft that is on it's way to a planet called Earth 2. NASA sent this craft there with all these embryos and very intelligent humans all in a deep sleep so they wouldn't age in the time it would take to get to Earth 2. The system malfunctions though and all the people in the deep sleep go brain dead, leaving only Romy and her parents left. Romy was born on the spacecraft, but her father ends up getting killed and her mother puts herself into a deep sleep, even while knowing the risks. I don't want to spoil much for you, so I'll just tell you the basics. So anyways, Romy likes to listen to this podcast and enjoys writing fanfics. Her only human connection is her therapist Molly, who sends her messages and voice recording every day, even though it takes two years to reach each other. Nearing the middle of the book, Molly has to stop sending voice recordings saying that it's 'too expensive', and slowly stops sending messages all together due to a war on earth; but before she does, she tells Romy that they sent another spacecraft after her that will join up with her and take her to Earth 2 faster. Around the same time as this, Romy gets a message from this new ship and- well, I can't really say much without spoiling anything, but let's just say that after page 200 things start going downhill. It has a happy ending though!" Hosuh suddenly looks at you, with a panicked look in his eyes. "Oh! I'm sorry, I didn't mean to talk so much, it's just that-"

"Hosuh," You cut him off, "You're fine. I really enjoyed listening to you, it was interesting." He looks down with a slight tint to his cheeks, but before he did you saw a glimpse of a smile.

"Well, I should probably get going," he says sadly. "This was a lot of fun, thank you so much!"

"Of course, it was my pleasure," you pause, then, "what about the rest of your books?"

Hosuh takes a step back and motions towards a stack of a few meticulously placed books - the biggest at the bottom to smallest on top, perfectly centered.

"Oh," you let out a chuckle, "Looks like you got a lot more done than I did!" Hosuh covers his mouth and hunches his shoulders as he laughs. His eyes twinkle in delight.

"I guess so, but still, thank you for just being here. It means a lot."

"Of course! Would you like me to walk you home?"

"Oh! Don't worry about it!" Hosuh replies hurriedly, the smile on his face vanishing, his eyes panicked, "I can walk myself. A-and besides, I probably live very far from your house." You ponder this.

"Fair point," you pause and study Hosuh for a second longer, "well, at least let me walk you out of the school." You give a little smile, hoping to lighten the mood again.

"I'd like that." Hosuh returns the smile.

"Hey Hosuh- oh, didn't see you there!" James says as he walks up. "Here you go, Hosuh," handing his a granola bar. Hosuh timidly took it with his head tipped down and shoulders caved in, his face a rose tint. James playfully hits Hosuh's arm and looks at you and rolls his eyes with a smile.

"Hosuh here, always forgetting to eat. I usually give him granola bars, I've gotten so used to it I carry extras!" James finishes with a smile and a chuckle. Hosuh compacts himself more as he grows more embarrassed. He turns back to Hosuh. "I hope you found your books ok. I didn't think Stephen would mess things up so bad."

"Oh, don't worry about it, it wasn't that bad," Hosuh mumbles and gives a little smile to James, still trying to hide his face.

"Well that's good! Anyways, I better get going. See ya Hosuh," he pats Hosuh's back and turns to you, "see you tomorrow." James starts to walks away, then pauses and turns around, "Hey, Hosuh, a guy named Jay said to say hi to you. I'd almost forgotten until now." Then he leaves for sure after gaining a nod of acknowledgment. You and Hosuh make eye contact. You give him a little smile and gesture with your head to encourage him to come with you.

You help Hosuh put the books into his backpack, and hold out your elbow which he graciously takes. You two make small talk and laugh as you walk with a bounce through the hallways and out the door, wishing each other goodbye.

**Hosuh: +3**

** Stephen: **

You pull up a chair next to Stephen and sit down.

"What are you doing?" He barely glances up from his book. His desk was positioned right by the windows, and little slits of light shone through the half-open blinds and onto the pages. You notice a heart had been carved into the desk, but the names of the people inside had long since been removed. Deep, messy lines were scratched into the surface, seemingly at random, looking to destroy any evidence of the relationship. As a result, the names were no longer readable.

"Sitting next to you." You reply. "I was curious about your book, actually."

This gets his attention. "My book?" 

"It looks interesting, what's it about?"

Stephen tries to hide his excitement as he closes the novel. It was a different one from the book he had been reading earlier and had a more... Normal cover. It was just the dark silhouettes of a man and a woman kissing in the rain underneath an umbrella. The background was a vibrant red, and the title was written across the top in big, golden lettering.  _When The Sun Won't Shine._

 _"_ It's about this countess, Alice, living in London in 1855, who falls in love with a poor chimney sweep and part-time occultist named Jon. Their romance is looked down upon, and Alice's father, the Marques, wants to lock him away in an insane asylum, because-" He cuts himself off quickly. "Wait, that's spoilers. Anyways, it's a horror-romance novel, and It's very good. It probably seems boring from the description, but it's really fucking good, I swear!" 

You nod, intrigued. "It sounds interesting, would you mind if I read it with you?"

Stephen hesitates for a moment before opening the book again, this time to the first page, and sliding it closer to you. An unspoken agreement to let you read with him.

Stephen notices your surprised look and quickly goes: "I've already read it twice, and you don't look like you've ever even laid eyes on a decent novel,"

You move your chair closer to him and put a hand on your side of the book. "Alright cool." You shrug, not thinking much of it. "I'll tell you when I'm ready to flip the page."

The two of you get through the first two chapters fairly quickly, neither of you speaking as the two of you read. It's quiet and peaceful, surprisingly, and Stephen actually seems pretty chill, if a bit dark-humored and immature. Even so, perhaps confusingly true, you find yourself enjoying being around him, despite not talking much, the two of you seem to get closer, albeit only a little. You finish the page earlier then he expects, and notice him tugging the cuffs of his sleeves down anxiously again. A nervous habit, you assume.

Then someone's phone rings, disrupting the calm, quiet air around you.

Stephen jumps a little, before rushing to answer his phone. Curious, you're unable to help yourself from stealing a glance over his shoulder.

He's texting someone by the name of Jay. You know there's a 12th grader in your math class by that name. He sits right behind James, actually. You don't talk to him too much.

You go back to the book, continuing where you left off as Stephen texts Jay a bit more before putting his phone down. 

"My friend texted me." He gives a quick shrug before continuing to read with you.

"You have friends?" You jokingly feign surprise. 

"Ha ha." Stephen rolls his eyes, laughing sarcastically. "I have plenty of friends, and none of them are idiots, which is more than you can say." 

After being around him for a bit, you understood the insult wasn't genuine at all, and that he was just joking.

"Is Dan included in the plethora of friends you supposedly have?" You inquire, curious about their relationship.

Stephen is silent for a moment, and the atmosphere isn't as lighthearted as it had been just moments ago.

"...It's 5:15, we should probably head home." He says, standing up quickly and ignoring your question. You decide to drop it and go along with his change of subject.

"I could walk you home if you want?" You offer. Stephen shrugs.

"Thanks, I guess, but if my dad sees you walk me home he might get the wrong idea, and that would make things really awkward." He hides it well, but you can tell he's upset about that, considering he's gone back to tugging his sleeves down below his wrists.

"Alright, well, it was nice spending time with you, surprisingly, maybe we could do this again tomorrow?" You give him a small smile.

He sighs, putting his book into the closet and grabbing his backpack. "That wouldn't be totally horrible, so why not? See you tomorrow."

And with that Stephen left the classroom, leaving you to walk home with Dan, who had been sitting in the corner with attempted patience as he wrote out ideas for more poetry.

Like yesterday, you went home excited for what tomorrow would bring.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh my god, I'm so sorry this took so long! I wasn't really motivated to write, and I constantly worried the characters weren't acting how they should, so big thanks to my co-author on Quotev, Snowy, who did the entirety of Hosuh's cutscene [you can tell because it's the most well-written part of this whole chapter], and thank you to Emerald, who edited both this and the previous chapters. The authors of the poems (who are all on Quotev, as that is where the story is actually written) used so far are credited below:
> 
> Dan's poem1: IntoTheStars
> 
> Hosuh's poem2: Emerald
> 
> James's Poem3: gpaez741

**Author's Note:**

> Hi welcome to hell, it's all downhill from here.


End file.
